A study on food and wine trends by the communication and marketing agency Evercom has revealed that eight out of ten Catalans (79%) admit to having changed their purchasing and food consumption patterns after seeing negative news. Up to 63% of the participants in this survey, with 1,000 respondents, affirm that their food consumption is influenced by the press.
The director of Evercom Barcelona, Lola Estevan, affirms that "food and wine consumption in Spain maintains a good growth rate, with a recovery trend achieved after the pandemic, which particularly affected the Hospitality channel". And she adds that “the study's conclusions show that the media have a significant influence on the consumption and purchasing habits of Catalans. For this reason, it is essential to implement communication strategies in food and beverage brands, in order to be in the minds of consumers”.
Likewise, according to the study presented Tuesday in Barcelona, 89% of the Catalans surveyed state that they have felt attracted to some healthy movement in the food industry promoted in communication, such as the intake of superfoods (27%), realfooding (19 %), functional foods (17%) or the veggie revolution (9%), compared to those who have never been interested in it (43%).
58% of the Catalans asked by Evercom, on the other hand, state that they have ever bought or consumed a new food product after seeing it positively promoted in the news. And it is that six out of ten Catalans (63%) are informed through press news when buying or consuming food products. 26% state that they have made the purchase or consumed products on several occasions, while 16% of those surveyed have never been influenced by a positive assessment of a food item in the media. With regard to the wine industry, only five out of ten respondents (49%) admit to having done so as a result of a news item read in the press.
The survey of this communication and marketing agency points out that "the critical thinking of the Catalan audience is gaining ground, showing that 38% give credibility depending on the medium that broadcasts the news, 35% do so depending on the product and 21 % does it keeping in mind who the editor journalist is”. 65% of Catalans, according to the survey to which the Comer La Vanguardia channel has had access, consider themselves to be foodies and passionate about food and having gastronomic experiences. And, furthermore, half of Catalans prefer to enjoy a good meal in a restaurant, accompanied by their partner.
In the ranking of the most relevant channels that inspire greater reliability and influence the purchasing decision of the Catalan public, we find television (29%), followed by the written press (24%) and digital media (22%). . In contrast, "and far from what many may think", according to Evercom, social networks are considered by 41% of Catalans as the least reliable means of communication in the purchase or food product decision. Only 9% consider them a truthful channel.
77% of those surveyed drink wine, although only 40% consider themselves a wine lover. On the other hand, 62% of those surveyed would be willing to pay more for a wine that is positioned as natural, with terms such as 'ecological' or 'biodynamic'. Among them, 48% are willing to do it sometimes, while 14% always do it. Likewise, more than 85% of those surveyed assure that they verify that the wines purchased and consumed are truly sustainable and respectful of the environment. And deterioration or a bad experience is the main reason (48%) for changing a brand of wine.
77% of the people consulted affirm that they drink wine, 20% of them once a week. Although 60% do not consider themselves a wine lover (only 40% do), there is a high habit (60%) of finding out through the press before buying or consuming a wine. Comparing it with the interest shown in food products, the study shows that this is greater in the wine press than in that linked to food products, with 60% of Catalans turning to the press on specific occasions for information, while a 20% use this channel always. In contrast, only 22% are never informed through this medium.
